Traders at the Racecourse Market in Kumasi have voiced their dissatisfaction with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), urging voters in the Ashanti region to consider alternatives in the pending December 2024 general elections.

According to them, their sentiment comes amid the selection of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, as the running mate to the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

During a press conference on July 15, 2024, the market women expressed their frustration with the NPP, claiming the government has neglected the region, which has historically shown strong support for the party.

They cited concerns over the stalled construction of key projects, including the Kumasi Central Market and the Krofrom Market as basis for their claims.

Christabel Amoah, the spokesperson for the traders, emphasized that while Dr. Opoku Prempeh hails from the Ashanti Region, his long tenure as MP, nearly two decades, has not translated into tangible benefits for the community.

“We don’t have a proper place to use as our market. We live in water. Racecourse has been deserted. We stay under the sun from morning till dusk for our daily bread. Sometimes we are overrun by vehicles and some even lose their lives through it.

“NAPO has been MP for 16 years and the abandoned Krofrom Market is in his constituency so we expected him to fix it so we could use it but he didn’t. And we don’t expect him to address our problems at this juncture when he has been appointed as running mate,” onuaonline.com quoted her to have said during the press conference.

The traders also highlighted their lack of support during crises, including fire outbreaks, noting that the MP has not engaged with them to help find solutions.

“A lot has happened in our market including fire outbreaks but there has not been a single instance where he has come to us to share in our problems to help solve them.

“If Bawumia thinks we will vote for him because he is from the Ashanti Region, then he should forget about it. We are no more going to vote based on where we come from but rather who can bring development to Asanteman,” she added.

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